Wow. The first two parts were good, but then it turned into so much more, and had me thumbing through the first two parts to read the story with this new information. Best to go into this knowing as little as possible, but if you start it and don‘t get it, stick with it! This is my 3rd of the #Booker Longlist, and so far I‘ve really liked them all (James, My Friends). Pictured with the gorgeous endpapers, which I love, in part b/c of the story.

While I didn‘t love this as much as many of you, it was still an engaging story that kept me hooked and was a good way to pass time on my flight.

September‘s #Bookspin list. Here‘s hoping I chose the right order so I get some good picks this month that I‘ll actually read 🫣😂

An interesting read in light of the recent question, “would you rather meet a bear or a man in the woods?” In this story, neither. I was sad this book turned from magical to bleak for me, and sad that Sam couldn‘t escape her trauma. Glad to have carried this book with me for this optimal photo while on Mackinac Island 🧸
#camplitsy24
Thanks so much to the hosts! It was a great summer at camp!

After a tough therapy session, my therapist asked me what I was going to do the rest of the day. She asked what 7-year-old Jamie would do. Some parts of me haven‘t changed. 7-year old Jamie would take a book to the woods. So that‘s what I did, and it was lovely.

This epigraph has me so curious about how this book is going to go…
#camplitsy24

August‘s #Bookspin list, featuring Booker nominees, books I need to finish, and books I really want to read. And some Paris-set books for the Olympics.

When the #Booker 2024 Longlist was announced, I showed *great* restraint by not ordering most of them (just one - Held - because the cover is pretty lol), and instead placed 4 on hold. I‘m not sure what I‘m thinking, trying to read most of them, since I‘m reading at a snail‘s pace lately, but I‘m going to try. I‘m encouraged that several are quite short. When I read the first paragraph of each, I ended up reading several chapters of My Friends.

@Amiable I couldn‘t help but to notice the cute ears on your Brady. We got our Birdie (another B name!) from a rescue and the first thing we noticed about her was her adorable ears. It‘s one of the many things we love about her 🥰 #dogsoflitsy

Between a pick and a so-so. A look into the life of a black female shark scientist, though most of the story focused on her journey getting there and her struggles as a black female in a very white male dominated field. I can‘t help but to wonder if this was also a revenge piece against a former professor. I would recommend this in print form. While excellent at her job, a great audiobook narrator she is not.

I should be reading one of four other books right now but a day at Lake Michigan means I get to start a new “summer” book, and the start of this one is pretty great…

1. JamieArc is for my name (Jamie Archer). I only just realized that people might think Arc is for advanced reader‘s copy. Nope 😂
2. I typically drive, grocery shop, clean, do a puzzle, or walk while audiobooking.
3. Last audiobook was True Gretch, tagged is current interesting listen.
#WondrousWednesday

This was a short and surface look into Whitmer, Michigan‘s current governor, read by herself. It was interesting to learn the backstory for some of her decisions through some hard years. I will never make fun of her “Fix the damn roads” slogan again 😊 I respect and appreciate her more after listening to this. The audiobook includes some fun audio clips, including SNL‘s Cecily Strong.

I have a hard time picking favorites, but Percival Everett is a no-brainer for me. I describe him as brilliant but readable. I love how he writes with such nuance, makes you think in ways you didn‘t expect, and turns the tables on things. He writes about incredibly difficult subject matter in a way that doesn‘t leave you feeling too heavy. James was no exception. Now, what should my next PE book be?
#camplitsy24

For those interested, PBS is holding a Facebook Live event about James. You can search the event on FB for more information. #CampLitsy24

My spouse sent me this from a Facebook page. You can search for it for the full post.

“Huck and Jim in Their Final Years”

In 1903, on his last visit to his in-laws at Quarry Farm in Elmira, New York, Mark Twain posed for this photograph with his friend, John T. Lewis (1835-1906), who was born a free man in Maryland and who had migrated to upstate New York.

Lewis is said to be the inspiration for Jim/James.
#CampLitsy24

Several #LMPBC packages have been sent out today, including Slewfoot returning to Katelyn. This was a great last round! I enjoyed each of the members of our group and our Gothic lit theme. Thanks to each of you for some good reading these past 4 months!

Thank you so much, Catie! When I was making my weekly to-do list yesterday, “Letter to Catie” was at the top of my list! So good to hear from you. As you can see, the puzzle has already been started 😊. I‘ll say more in reply, of course. You‘re the best! #LitsyLove #OGPenPal

Has anyone else checked this out? I‘m intrigued…

I‘m so proud that I didn‘t peak at the numbers this morning before posting my list 🫣😆. July‘s #Bookspin list features books I need to get through (so sorry @KateReadsYA but I WILL get through Slewfoot soon!), #CampLitsy24 reads, lots of summer vibes, and a Christmas cozy because comfort is a top priority right now!

I‘m glad I have both Aardvark and BOTM because this month, none of Aardvark‘s choices grabbed me while too many of BOTM‘s did. I think I was craving summer vibes. Really excited to see Bear, as I was hoping it would be a #CampLitsy24 pick.

There are other books I should be reading, other things I should be doing, but we got a new hammock and the #hyggehourreadathon was what I needed, along with a cozy read. It‘s been wonderful with perfect weather. Looking forward to more time like this with a short work week. Happy hygge hour, my Litten friends ❤️

The tornado sirens went off. The sky turned so very grey and windy. My dog is cuddled on my lap. It was the perfect setting to receive back my gothic novel #LMPBC book. Thanks for the treat, @JackOBotts and I‘m excited to flip through and read all your thoughts!

While my spouse is off seeing some great shows in Stratford, Ontario with his best friend, I‘m taking the opportunity to hygge as much as possible and treated myself to these. Thanks for always putting things on my radar to keep me calm, reflective, and peaceful, Christine.

Should I be worried (or rather, should my spouse be worried) about our August #camplitsy24 read?!? This is probably behind a paywall, so you can google it if you want to read it, but I thought this article title was interesting, and I‘m really looking forward to our discussion of this book.

This was fun @CrowCAH ! And for the dude, it‘s scary how much I suddenly look like my brother when I actually don‘t in real life 🫣

June‘s #Bookspin List

Between a pick and a so-so. There was a lot I liked: the setting, the atmosphere, parts of the story, the culture. There were things I didn‘t: characters that grated on me, the vampire plot point felt unfinished. I really enjoyed doing a gothic book with this setting, and it was fun to interact with the others who left notes in it for #LMPBC

For #nunlit readers, I don‘t think the tagged book is one of our reads, but you might enjoy this. If you subscribe to Katherine May‘s (newsletter - that feels like the wrong word…), you can listen to this interview.

Slew foot has arrived, @JackOBotts ! And it made me laugh out loud when I saw the SlewFoot snack 😂😂😂. That was great!
#LMPBC

1. Living in France has influenced me. Boursin cheese, a baguette, and red wine.
2. Just after college, a friend and I would go to the local park, have a picnic, and read smutty books (before smutty books were cool/accepted), so I will forever associate picnics with smutty books 😏
#Two4Tuesday

I took the day off of work and went to my favorite local coffee shop for a while. I started the next #LMPBC book, and now a thunderstorm is rolling in. A lovely start to summer 🥰

While at a conference I checked out a local bookstore aptly named This Is A Bookstore, which was right next to the tagged bookstore. It was a *great* bookstore. The only negative was finding out that Samantha Irby would be there that evening but it was sold out. If you are in Kalamazoo, MI, it‘s very worth visiting (and checking out author events beforehand!).

I shouldn‘t be allowed in a bookstore when I‘m tired 🤦🏻‍♀️🥱

A new job has me reading less, but I can‘t give up #Bookspin 😊 It gives me something to look forward to every 2nd day of the month!

The book is on its way to you, @KateReadsYA and should arrive May 1! Withholding my opinions so the next readers aren‘t swayed 😊 #LMPBC

I was a bit starstruck when I met AS Byatt and Brian Stephenson. I‘ve met a few others at signings, but the coolest experience was attending a writing retreat AT the home of Elizabeth Berg. She hosted 10 women in her home and cooked for us, led writing exercises, talked about our writing and gave us feedback. A top experience. I‘d love to chat with Ann Patchett, Sue Monk Kidd, and Louise Penny.
#SundayFunday

You know it‘s serious work when I pull out my computer for Litsy. Worked on my shortlist for #CampLitsy24 and my votes are in! It was hard to narrow down. I‘m curious what the shortlist will be!
Mad props to whoever prepared the spreadsheet - that made it much easier!

It‘s well time I began my BC education since we got bucket list tickets to her concert at Red Rocks. I really enjoyed getting to know her and some of the stories behind her music. I‘m also a bit jealous of her. She worked hard for it, but she‘s totally living the dream. Bonus for the audiobook is the addition of her singing between chapters, and the entire last hour and a half. 🎶🎵

The book and goodies have arrived, @JackOBotts ! Thanks for sending the bookmark and sugar pick-me-ups 😊 Looking forward to reading this one!

I‘m currently making my way through The Haunting of Whitehall Manor, @KateReadsYA 👻
#LMPBC

One of the things I really love about Camp Litsy is all the great new books I hadn‘t yet seen. Here are my nominees. Say Hello looks bizarre and interesting and I haven‘t seen it nominated yet. Avalon is written by the author of one of my favorite books a couple of years ago. Lastly, the tagged is published in July, so it doesn‘t make the cut, but looks really fun so I thought it deserved a shout out. #CampLitsy24

April‘s #Bookspin list. May the book gods pick a good number!

Thank you for the #FoundFamilySwap package, @forestandcrow ❤️. Both these books have been on my TBR forever so hopefully I‘ll actually get to them now! I‘m also a big fan of those chips so good choice! Thanks again!

I won‘t say much since this is being passed along for #LMPBC Our group chose gothic literature and this story is brimming with gothic atmosphere. The descriptions were rich, Janet was an interesting and complex character, and I loved the juxtapositions in the story: kindness and cruelty, beauty and horror, etc. Also, how fabulous is this cover with the placement of the crow‘s eye???

The book arrived, @JackOBotts ! I actually chew this gum all the time - it‘s my favorite flavor! And I love how it matches the book cover 🧡 Looking forward to starting it once I finish my current read. #LMPBC

My #foundfamilyswap package has arrived! I‘ll be sneaking out on my lunch break to send mine out! Thanks, @forestandcrow !

1. Turn in our tax documents (boo) and book a place for our April long weekend vacation (yay).
2. English teacher because I loved reading (surprise surprise)
3. A trip to Northwest Europe at the end of the year for my friend‘s birthday 🎉
4. Really enjoying the tagged book. It‘s helping me take my job in academia less seriously 😂
#MotivationalMonday

I just noticed how well my two current reads complement each other! 🐷🐮

I‘ve finally decided on my March #Bookspin list. Really looking forward to read whatever the BookSpin gods choose!

My #hyggehour will be spent finishing this one. Even without a fire going, my fireplace is a very cozy space 🥰